PANDA FEST is one of the largest outdoor Asian food festivals in the U.S with unique activities, tastings, and market fairs that showcases cultural traditions from Asia in Orlando on Saturday, Feb. 27 – March 1 at 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
This debut brings together a vibrant celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures to Festival Park. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a weekend with diverse food options, live performances, and arts and crafts from local and national vendors. There will be interactive panda-themed experiences made for all ages.
PANDA FEST was founded by BiuBiu Xu and began in 2024 as a one-day pop-up in New York City and grew into a multi-day celebration. PANDA FEST has expanded to 11 cities across the East Coast, West Coast, and Central U.S Regions, such as Dallas, Austin, Phoenix, Nashville, Charlotte, Hartford, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Orlando has a diverse community and a vibrant vibe and energy that is perfect for PANDA FEST as it unites passion and excitement throughout this event. Guests can explore a culinary journey across Asia with more than 80+ food vendors offering 200+ dishes from Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. There will be a place for attendees to browse a marketplace of 20+ vendors offering clothing accessories, crafts, and is inspired by Asian heritage.
Traditional arts such as calligraphy, sugar painting, and paper cutting will be featured with K-pop dance routines, lion dances, performances, and more. There will also be a 15-foot inflatable panda, a panda bounce ring, games, and treats.
The festival is meant to bring together diverse backgrounds and give the community time to celebrate themselves in a non-judgement zone. PANDA FEST has helped unite communities and inspired different types of dishes for the community to try and fall in love with.
Asian Cuisines to Enjoy
PANDA FEST is meant to unite families and friends together while enjoying East Asian foods in Orlando. This event inspires the community to support Asian cuisines and to try new dishes that people may not be used to.
“PANDA FEST is the emerging of everyone together,” said Alex Etienne, customer of PANDA FEST. “It’s the different food, the different cultures coming together, so everyone can learn a piece from everybody and I like that.”
Food is a passion most people are interested in as it unites different backgrounds together. Without food, there wouldn’t be a way to make others comfortable while putting themselves out there to the public.
“Just to know regardless, food is a universal language that we all speak,” said Etienne. “If the food is good, we don’t need any language for that because this is a common factor everyone can relate to.”
As the political climate continues to change, the community can agree on learning about different cultures and improving the environment people are living in.
“The world is a little crazy right now so just to have an upright event to show that even if the world is crazy, we are still one,” said Etienne. “That we are still here united and have to stick together.”
With the stereotypes against Asian culture, PANDA FEST breaks down the cliches by showcasing different styles of Asian cuisines and Asian music happening in America.
“We just had the squid stick, the dumpling, and trying a different variety of things is really good,” said Ariel Max, guest at PANDA FEST. “I think PANDA FEST helps people open their eyes that we are all normal people and this event invites the community to be curious and realize not all their fears are true.”
Having live performances and good food relating to Asian culture is also a creative way that this festival shares other parts of this community’s culture.
“I think it’s cool PANDA FEST introduced themed cultural festivities so that people who aren’t usually around this type of culture can experience it for the first time and can have a good time while trying foods they normally wouldn’t have,” said Max.
PANDA FEST brings together different perspectives and experiences on food tastings, new types of music, and culture as it teaches the community the importance of diversity in the Asian community.
For more information and updates on PANDA FEST, visit HERE.